Socket-wrench set



Nov. -16 1926. 1,606,979

. w. B. TURNER 'SOCKET WRENCH SET ed April 3, 1926 @@73'2'071. Wzamrewef War/zeilt.

Patented Nov. ie, 192e.

unirse siaiss BRITAIN MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEVI BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT,{A CORPORATION F CONNECTICUT.

Application filed April 3,

This invention relates to socket Wrench sets coinprisinga plurality of sockets of different sizes and a single handle adapted vrto be fitted to any selected socket of the set.

These sets are commonly `included in-the tool kit of an automobile and are often provided With an enclosing case or holder Avvhich retains all the sockets and the handle in a v parts, and adaptedto prevent accidental disf` lodgment of the parts ofthe set, While per- Y vinitting'thein to be removed for. use with a minimum degree of trouble. 4 y A Further objects of the invention Will be apparent from the detailed description which follows and Will'be specifically pointv ed out in the appended claims.

s Y manner.

Referring to the draivings Fig. 1 isan elevat'on of the improved vholder With the sockets and handle assembled therein Fig. 42 is a horizontal section on the line n 2-2 of Fig. 1 With a portion of the handle broken away to shoiv'the internal construction one of the sockets attached thereto; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the handle and' stud in position for use as a screw-driver.

The handle is indicated generally at 1 and in the present case consists of tvvo complemental shell-like members which may be struck out from sheet metal and maybe fastened together as indicated at 2 (Fig. 2) by spot Welding, or inany other suitable larger end of the handle in Which is pivoted f for rotation a collar 4 having a polygonal y aperture 5 thereinrforthe reception of a connecting stud 6. The collar 4 is provided with external ratchet teeth 7 which are adapted to be engaged by a paWl 8 which is pivoted at 9 between the tvvo members of handle 1.V The pawl 8 is urged toward the ratchet teethbya spring 10 'fastened to the inside of the handle.

lVhile one desirableV form of handle is i herein disclosed, it is to be understoodthat so far as the present invention is concerned, the specilicftype of handleeinployed is in .general immaterial, and that the collar 4' Fig. 8 is an elevation of the handle With l i which seven are shown in this set.

rlhere Vis an aperture near the sociznii-ivaiaivciin SET.

ieee.l seriai No.99,53.'

Vor .its equivalent may be fixed instead of rotary if desired. The handle 1 is provided with a notch 11 (Fig. 2) at'the opposite end from the collar4 for a purpose to be later described. l I

The stud 6 is provided with struckoiit lugs 12 for limiting its entrance into the aperture 5 of the collar 4 andis also pro-r videdwithy 'two spring-pressed ballsl, one of which is shownr on Fig. 4, theother being concealed "Within the collar.

f inname; reinem WILLIAM IBREV/'ER TURNER, OF EAST ORANGE, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TC NEW A These balls j provide sufficient friction bettveenthe stud 6 and the v,side Wall of the aperture 5 and l the'inside ofa WrenchV socketr 'respectively to retain the stud in position. The stud y6 terminates at one end at a relatively short dis? tance from the lugs 12, this endof tliestudA preferably being blunt,r While the opposite lend of the stud ypreferably extends j to a greaterr distance beyond the lugs 12 and ter- `ininates ina screw-driver blade 14. Fig. 4

shows the stud in place Vin the handle for use asa screw-driver, While Fig. 3 shows :the stud in place in tlie handle in the reverse position sothat the blunt en'dinayl be engaged With a Wrench socket 15 Without dan- K 'ger of interference withV a bolt heador'pnut engaged'by the socket.

The handle may. be engaged with anyone of a number of different sized sockets 15 of 4 A holder, generally indicated at16, is adapted to hold the handle and the sockets in assembled relation andto provide against'accidental displacement thereof. n

The holder '16 comprises a tray portion 17 having sidewalls 18fand 19 and end Walls 18a and 19a. The sockets lareintended to be seated in the tray 17 in regular order-ot their size, the tray being tapered from' one end towardr the other?v for that purpose. .l/vhen assembled` the handleand stud are Anormally Aengaged ,with`r the largestof the sockets shown at the vleft-hand end of the tray in Figs. 1 and 2, the stud being in the position shown in F ig. llpvvith the screwdriver 14 extending Within the socket and the blunt vend lof the stud substantially flush with the upper surface of the handle.

Y `The vholder lalso comprisesV av handle re- `taining device7 cover, or holding'fstrip 2O` i having stifliy resilient vend portions or abut?A inentst21 and 22 l.Which entend doivnvvardlv land are rigidly and fixedly attached Vto 'thue ivallsofthe tray 17 by soldering,.iveld ing or in any other suitable way. This holding strip 2() extends longitudinally over the handle 1 when the device is in assembled relation and holds it against upward ,displacement, the abutment members 21 and 22 being spaced to admit the handle between them. The end portion 22 of the strip 20 is provided with an inwardly directed boss constituting a latch element which is adapted to engage in the notch 11 at the end Voi3 the handle when the parts are assembled,

at which time there is a slight pressure eX'- eited from` the end 22 through boss 23, iandle 1, stud 6, and the left-hand socket 15 in which the stud is inserted, and against the end 18a of the tray 17. This pressure prevents any accidental dislodgment of any of the parts, as the' sockets 15 may not bey moved side-wise due to the side walls 18 and 19 of the tray 17 and are restrained from upward movement by the handle 1 above them'.v The side wall 19 is provided with an aperture 24- of a slightly greater width than the largest of the sockets 15 but out of registry with. any one of the sockets when the parts are all assembled.

To remove the handle or the sockets from the device, it is necessary first to apply a diagonal pressure von the holder substantially inthe direction ot the arrows 25. This forces the holding strip 20 and the end portions 21 and 22 'thereof into some such position as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thereby disengaging the boss 23 from the notch' 11 and permitting the handle to be swung sidewise about the stud 6 to approxi- Ymately the full line position shown 'in Fig.

2. Any o ne of the sockets 1.5, with the eX- ception of that engaged with stud 6, may now be lifted upwardly until its bottom is above the top of the walls 18 and 19 and then slid from under the holding strip 20. When this is done, the endmost socket to which the stud 6 and handle lare connected, may be moved into registry with and then laterally out ot the opening 211 in the side wall 19 asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 as indicatedby the arrow 26.

'lu assembling the devicejfor transporta tion Vor storage iii the tool kit of an automo bile or elsewere, the reverse operations are performed, the only difference being that it is vnot necessary to apply pressure in an endwise direction to the holder in order to snap the handle back into the position shown in Fig. 1 with the boss 23 engaged with notch 11, since the curvature of the end of the handle shown at 27 actsras a cain'to spring the handle into place'. i

l. have thus provided an extremely simple assembly of socket wrenches with a substantially unitary holder which will positively retain all the parts against accidental dislodgment during. transportation and pre-V vent their loss. The device is equally etleclneuerer@ tive if some or the sockets are missing as the remainder are always prevented from dislodgment in the manner` described. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the speciiic embodiment of the device herein shown and described, but merely by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A socket wrench set comprising a handle, an elongate support tor holding a row ot sockets, a handle retaining device extending longitudinally of the socket support and iifredly attached thereto at both of its ends, the retaining device comprising a resilientfly yieldable element normally engaging the end of the handle to hold the latter in alignment with the row of sockets.l

A socket wrench set comprising a handie, a, receptacle for independent sockets, and a releasable resilient latch element lixedily attached to one end ot' the receptacle and normally engaging the end or the haiidle and thereby retaining' said handle in normal position within the holder, the handle when in such position positively pre-v venting removal vor `the sockets from the receptacle.

3. A socket wrench set comprising a haiidle, a holder tor independent sockets, the

holder having abutment elements at its opposite ends, said abutment elements being spaced tovreceive between them the handle member, one of the abutments having a locking element normally engaging a complemental element at one end of the handle` whereby to retain the handle in the holder, the handle when so positioned constituting a. stop to prevent removal of the sockets from the holder.

Ll. f1 socket wrench set comprising a han-V die, a tray having side and end walls, the

tray being adapted to hold a plurality ot sockets, a cover strip extending longitudinally of the tray and above the upper edges or the side walls oi' the latter, said strip having resilient end portions rigidly united to the end walls ol' the tray, one ot the side CII lit

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walls of the tray having an aperture for f ing adapted to overlie the handle when the latter vis disposed above the rowl or" sockets in the tray'andv connected at one endy to the socket at one end ofthe row, the other end of the handle normally `engaging an element f united to the tray and which extends longitudinally thereof above the hand-le,r said v fixedly connected with the tray-for preventing accidental dislodgment of the handle from such normal position whereby all the sockets are retainedl in position by the handle.

7. A socket wrench set comprising a plurality of independent sockets, a handle therefor, a tray for holding said sockets in a row, the handle being j'norm'ally ailixed to the socket at one end of the row and extending longitudinally overthe row, and a cover or holding strip whose opposite ends are ixedly coverl or holding strip'comprising an element having resilient engagement with the` handle to maintain the latter in normal 1,po-

sition and thereby to retain the row oi sock-` ets against accidental dislodgment.

8. A socket wrench set comprising a pluf rality of independent sockets of graduated sizes, a'handle therefor, a tapered trayy for holding said sockets in a row, the handle beingnormally aiiixed to the socketr at one end of the row and extending longitudinally over the other sockets, and a cover strip rigidly united at each end to the tray and extending longitudinally thereof above the handle, said cover strip having resilient engagement with the handle to retain it in nor- Amal position, the tray being provided with a side wall having an aperture of substantially the diameter of the largest of the sockets but out of registry with any of the sock;-k -ets whenthey are normally positioned,

, whereby in removing the sockets vfrom the holder the handle must first be swungjout of line with the tray, yand one or more of the socketsmust be removed so that the handley and socket aiiixed thereto may be slid along the tray to a position opposite to the aperture and removed laterally therefrom.

, 9. A socket wrench set-comprising a plurality of independent sockets, a handle therefor, a tray for holding said sockets in a row, one end of the handle being normally engaged with the socket at one end and extending longitudinally over the row of sockets, the handle having a notch in its opposite end, a flexible member rig-idly connected to the tray and projecting up at one Vendj of Signed byme at New Britain,

.the latter, and a boss on said memberadapted resiliently to engage said notch.

10. A socket Wrench set comprising a plurality of sockets, a handle therefon'a tray forv holding said sockets in a row, one end of the handle being normally ailixed to the*V socket at one end of the row and extending longitudinally over the row of sockets, a flexible strip having both ends rigidly secured to the trayV and extending longitudi nally thereof above the handle, the handle `having a latch element at its other end, and

a complemental latch element on the strip adapted to engage the-latch element o the handle,` the VVhandle being removable Jfrom the holding device by a diagonal pressure thereon disengagin'g the latchl elements.

11. -A socket wrench set comprising a plurality of independent sockets,'a handle therefor, a tray for holding said sockets in a row, one end of the handle/'being normally attached to the socket at one end of the row vand extending longitudinally over thero-wr of sockets,alexible strip rigidly connected tothe tray extending longitudinally thereof in its opposite'end, and a boss on the strip adapted' to engage said notch, the tray being the sockets may only be removed from the above the handle, the handle havinga notch 'ou i `provided with side walls of such height thatr ,t

tray after the handle has been removed from Y above them. i

12.y A socket wrench set comprising a plurality of independent sockets, a handle therefor, a tray for holding said sockets in a row,

the handle being normally atiixed ,to the socket at one end of the rol-w and extending longitudinally over the row of sockets, a cover strip having downwardly directed resilient end portions rigidly attached to thel `V opposite ends of the tray, said cover strip extending longitudinally above the handle, the handle having a notch in its end, a boss on one of the resilient depending portions of the lcover strip adapted to engage said notch, the trayfbeing provided with slide walls which prevent the removal of the sockets when thehandle is jin-normal position, one of said side walls being provided with an aperture of alslightly greater width than vthe diameter of the largesty socket, the aperture being out of registry with any one of the sockets Whenthe latter are in normal position, the handle being removable from the holder by a diagonal pressure on the ends vof the tray and cover strip respectively thereby disengaging the boss from the notch, permitting the handle tobe swung laterally from over the socket. l

cui; this' 29th day of March, 1926. i f

WILLIAM v BREWER TURNER. .y

C onnecti- 

